Registering mechanism driving and reset means interlock



June 16, 1942. PIPER V 2,286,506

REGISTERING MECHANISM DRIVING AND RESET MEANS INTBRLOCK Filed Feb. 29,1940 s Sheets-Sheet 1 My fiDE/V HP/PER M/ZZ Sue-M E. H. PIPER 2,286,506

REGISTERING MECHANISM DRIVING AND RESET MEANS INTERLOCK June 16, 1942.

Filed Feb. 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwwkm ffLDEN H PJPEP WWW June 16,1942. IP R REGISTERING MECHANISM DRIVING AND RESET MEANS INTERLOCK FiledFeb. 29, .1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 64 gywe/wbow ELDEN H PIPER g M 35% M MWPatented June 16, 1942 REGISTERING MECHANISM DRIVING AND RESET MEANSINTERLOCK Elden H. Piper, Manchester, Conm, assignor to Veeder-RootIncorporated, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationFebruary 29, 1940,'Scrial No. 321,534

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus including aregistering mechanism and comprehends generally the provision ofimproved interlocking means between the means for initiating adispensing operation and the resetting mechanism of the registeringmeans.

The object of the present invention is the provision of improvedinterlocking means whereby once a dispensing operation is initiated theregistering mechanism cannot be reset to zero until the dispensingoperation is completed and whereby, following the completion of adispensing operation a second dispensing operation can not be initiateduntil the registering mechanism has been reset to zero.

A further object is the provision of interlockingfmeans comprisingcooperating parts carried by the control means for initiating adispensing operation and the reset mechanism of the registeringmeans,and wherein the usual operations of the control and resetmechanism automatically set and release the interlocking means.

A further object is to provide an improved interlocking mechanism of theabove indicated type characterized by its ease and simplicity ofoperation, the utilization of a minimum number of parts, the compactnessin arrangement and by its dependability and reliability in service andperformance.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a liquid dispensingapparatus embodying the invention herein;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the registering mechanism showing suchparts as are necessary for an understanding of the invention herein;

Fig. 2A is a detail view of the reset shaftlimiting mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3A is a detail view of the reset shaft overthrow compensatingmechanism;

Fig. 4 is a view of the control and interlocking means when theregistering mechanism is at zero prior to a dispensing operation;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the parts in position during adispensing operation;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the parts in a positionimmediately following a dispensing operation;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary view of the end of the reset shaft withthe parts of the interlocking mechanism carried thereby shown insection.

Referring to the drawings, the liquid dispensing apparatus comprises theusual rectangular casing 10 having mounted therein a pump I2, operatedby a belt l4, driven by a motor 46, supported ona transverse platform48. The suction side of the pump is connected through a pipe 20 to astorage tank (notshown), and discharges through a pipe 22 to a meter 24,supported on a second transverse platform 26. The outlet side of themeter 24 has connected thereto a dispensing hose 28 provided on its freeend with a dispensing nozzle 30 having an operating handle and a handleguard 36 of common construction. The dispensing device further includesa registering mechanism 36 having a plurality of cost or quantityindicating counters 38 driven in a counting direction by suitable drivemeans (not shown) operatively connected through a shaft 40 to the meter24. Referring to Fig. 2, the indicating counters 38 are all adapted tobe reset to zero upon rotation (in a clockwise direction) ci a resetshaft 32?. mounted in spaced apart supporting frames at and 45, and atrain of gears generally designated as 44 intermediate of the resetshaft and the indicating counters. The details of the aforementionedregistering mechanism are all fully disclosed and described in thecopending application of Edward A. Slye, Serial Number 265,498 and onlysuch description will be hereinafter given as is' necessary for anunderstanding of the invention herein.

In the mechanism disclosed, the dispensing operations are controlled bya lever 46 pivotally mounted on a substantially rectangular sup.-porting plate 48 secured to the supporting bracket 43 to one side of thereset shaft 42'. plate 48 is secured to the bracket 43 by top and bottomscrews 50, the screws being of such length that spacing sleeves 52 maybe positioned thereon between the plate 48 and the supporting frame 43and thus space the plate from the bracket. As seen in Fig. 4, thecontrol lever 46 is of substantially U-shape comprising an innervertical arm 54, a horizontal arm 56, and an outer vertical arm 58, andthe inner vertical arm thereof is provided with a lateral offsetadjacent the upper end thereof, having an aper- The . reset shaft.

ture therein for pivotally mounting the lever on a pivot pin 62, securedto and extending inwardly from the supporting plate 48. As indicated,the pivot pin 62 is located above the plane of the reset shaft 42whereby the vertical arms 54 and 58 of the lever 46 are positioned toopposite sides of the reset shaft and the horizontal arm 56 thereofunderlies same.

In order to utilize the movement of the lever 46 to operate the motor I6the outer vertical arm 58 thereof is provided at its upper end with alateral ofiset having an aperture therethrough, through which thereextends a connecting rod 66, the lower end of which is secured to aswitch lever 60 on the motor I6. To permit adjustment of the rod 66 theupper portion thereof is threaded and the lateral offset 64 of the arm58 may be maintained in abutment against a stop nut 10 positioned abovesame by a spring I2 positioned below same and maintained under tensionby a second stop nut 14, the stop nuts being secured in place byadjacent cooperating lock nuts 16. With this arrangement, when thecontrol lever 46 is in its lowermost or inoperative position, as shownin Fig. 4, where it is held against further clockwise pivotal movementby a stop finger 18 extending laterally from the lower arm 56 andabutting the supporting plate spacing sleeve 52, the switch lever 68will be in off position, whereas when the lever 46- is pivotedcounterclockwise to operative position (see Fig. the switch lever 68willbe in on position to start the motor I6 and initiate a dispensingoperation.

"To look the reset shaft against rotation upon initiating a dispensingoperation, cooperating means are provided on the control lever and thereset shaft 42, adapted to interlock upon the movement of the controllever from inoperative to operative position. The means foraccomplishing this comprise a locking lug 80 extending upwardly and at aslight angle from the horizontal arm 56 of the control lever 46 andadapted to be received within a lug receiving recess 82 provided on thereset shaft 42 and alignable with the lug when the registering mechanismis at zero position. For convenience in manufacture, the locking lugrecess 82 may be provided in a looking disc 84 rigidly secured to a hub86 pinned to the reset shaft 42 for simultaneous rotation therewith, thelocking disc 84 being so positioned pensing operation by the movement ofthe control lever 46 to inoperative position, the locking lug will. bemoved out of the recess whereupon the reset shaft may be rotated.However, once the recess 82 is out of alignment with the looking lug 80the lever 46 cannot again be moved a the lug would abut against theperiphery of the locking disc 84.

However, to prevent movement of the control lever to start a seconddispensing operation prior to resetting, further means are provided forlatching the control lever against movement from inoperative positionuntil a resetting operation has been initiated. The means for ac- Icomulishing this comprise a latch 88 pivotally and slidably mounted onthe inner vertical arm Upon the completion of a disof the control lever46 and a latch stop and resetting cam 90 rigidly secured to the hub 86of the reset shaft 42.

Referring initially to the latch stop and resetting cam 90, there is cuttherein adjacent the latch 88 a recess 9| to provide a horizontal radialshoulder 93 positioned 90,in advance of zero position and an angular orstop shoulder 95 positioned approximately 30 in advance of the shoulder93. The radial shoulder 93 is bent outwardly to lie forward of the planeof the cam and carries on the outer end thereof a holding lug 91extending inwardly and at right angles thereto, the holding lug 91functioning to temporarily restrain movement of the latch 88 ashereinafter explained. Referring now to the latch 88, it comprises asubstantially rectangular plate 89 provided at its upper end with a slot92 for pivotally and slidably mounting the latch 88 on a pivot pin 94extending forwardly from the upper end of the vertical arm 54 of thecontrol lever 46. As seen in Figs. 4 to 6. the slot 92 is cut at anangle of approximately and extends downwardly from the upper right handcorner and transversely ofthe plate 89, for reasons hereinafterapparent. The lower end of the latch is further connected to the lever46 by a spring 96, having connected at one end to a latch dependingfinger 98, and at its other end to the horizontal arm 56 of the controllever 46, the spring normally tending to maintain the latch in itslowermost position with the pivot pin 94 located in the top of the slot92, which position the latch assumes when the registering mechanism isat zero position. The edge of the latch 80 adjacent the reset shaft 42is further provided with a forwardly extending stop lug I00 disposedopposite the restraining lug 91 of the latch stop and resetting cam 80.Below the stop I00, the edge of the plate 89 is cut inwardly to providea vertically arranged stop face I02 spaced inwardly from the plane ofthe stop I00 and below the stop face I02, the plate is again outinwardly to provide a right angle holding shoulder I04.- To cooperatewith the stop face I02 and holding shoulder I04 of the latch, there isarranged on the vertical arm 54 of the control lever 46 anoutwardljextending stop pin I06 against which the stop face I02 of thelatch abuts when the registering mechanism is in zero position.

With the latch 88 and the latch stop and resetting cam 90 constructed inthe manner above described, and assuming that the registering mechanismis at zero position, upon movement of the control lever 46 to operativeposition to initiate a dispensing operation, the latch 88 being mountedthereon will be simultaneously moved therewith. However, as the latchsupporting pin 94 is located above the pivot 62 of the control lever 46,it will move in the arc of a circle and in addition to carrying thelatch upwardly, it will cant same about the stop I06 to position thestop lug I00 above the plane and over the restraining lug 91 of thelatch stop and resetting cam 90, the position of the parts then being asindicated in Fig. 5. As previously explained, when so positioned,resetting cannot be accomplished as the locking lug will have moved intothe recess 82 of the. reset shaft looking disc 84.

Upon the completion of a dispensing operation, the control lever 46 willagain be moved downwardly to inoperative position. When this occurs, dueto 'the position of the latchstop lu I over the restraining lug 9'! thestop lug will be initially lowered into contact with same and the latchrestrained against further downward movement. When so restrained, thestop pin I06 of the control lever 46 will move downwardly until itclears the stop face I02 and moves into abutment with the positioningshoulder whereupon the latch holding pin 94 will move downwardly withinthe slot 92 causing a transverse sliding of the latch 88 to position thelatching lug I00 beneath the stop shoulder 95 of the cam 90 and inalignment with the channel 930: defined by the offset of the radialshoulder 93, whereupon the parts will be in the position indicated inFig. 6. When so positioned, if an attempt is made to move the controllever 46 to operative position the latching lug I00 will abut againstthe stop shoulder 95 of the cam 00 and thus restrain operation of thelever 45 and prevent the starting of a second dispensing operation priorto resetting. Upon resetting, inasmuch as the stop lug I00 is positionedabove the channel 93a the cam 90 will be free to rotate and clear sameand thereafter the periphery of'the cam will engage the lug I00 to forcethe latch towards the left until the holding pin I06 of the controllever, 46 is aligned with the stop face I02, whereupon the tension ofthe spring 96 will draw the latch downwardly to its initial position.Obviously, as soon as rotation of the reset shaft is started, the lockng lug recess 32 will move out of alignment with the locking lug 80 toprevent operation of the control lever 46 and offset the movement out ofalignment of the latching lug I00 and cam stop shoulder 95.

As previously indicated, the registering mechanism shown is of the typedisclosed in the above indicated Slye application Serial Number 265,498.l

be possible to initiate a dispensing operation without a completeresetting operation. The present invention contemplates, however, thefurther provision of means for preventing the initiation of a dispensingoperation in counters of the above indicated type Where the reset shafthas an overthrow. Before describing same, however, so much of'themechanism as is necessary to understand the means for limiting therotation of the reset shaft and the means for reversing it to compensatefor the overthrow will first be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 22A, 3 and 3A for limiting the rotationof the reset shaft 42, there is'fixed thereon and positioned between thesupporting frame 43 and a spacing sleeve 41, spaced outwardly from theframe, an outer stop actuating cam and a reset limiting cam H0. The stopcam I08 has cut in the periphery thereof an arcuate notch III to providea rearwardly facing (relative to the direction of rotation) radialshoulder H2 and a forwardly facing cam shoulder I I4. When in zeroposition the shoulder H2 is positioned 90 from the vertical center lineof the reset shaft and the camming shoulder II4 slightly in advance ofzero position, the functions thereof being subsequently described. Thead, jacent reset limiting cam I I0 is of equal radius to the stop camI00 at the notch II I and has on its periphery a radially extendingforwardly facing stop shoulder II6 angularly retarded from zeroposition.

Cooperating with the stop and reset cams is a bell crank lever H8pivotally mounted on a pin I20. extending outwardly from the supportingbracket 43 and spaced thereby to lie in the plane of the limiting cam II0. The lever I I6 includes a horizontally extending stop arm I22 and avertically extending positioning arm I24 having an inverted V endreceivable behind a detent I26 for normally holding the lever H6 in aposition with the stop arm I22 clear of the limiting cam I I0. Thedetent I26 is provided on the outer end of a spring finger I28, theinner end of which is fixed to the frame 43 thus providing a flexibleholding means from beneath which the arm I24 may be readily released.

To release lever H8 from beneath the detent there is carried by the stoparm I22 a connector I30 which is pivotally mounted thereon intermediateof its ends whereby it extends above and below same. The lower end ofthe connector I30 is normally urged into engagement .with the peripheryof the actuating cam I08 by a spring E32 interconnecting the upper endthereof with the positioning arm I24.

The edge of the connector adjacent the stop cam Ilil further hasprovided thereon a camming abutment EM adapted upon rotation of the reaset shaft :22 in a resetting direction to be engaged in acounterclockwise direction. Upon such pivoting, the connector will abutagainst a stop $36 extending forwardly from. a finger I38 depending fromthe stop arm I22 resulting in rotation of the lever H8 in acounterclockwise direction. The rotation of lever II8 will result in therelease of the positioning arm I24 from beneath detent I26 whereupon theouter end of the stop arm I22 will fall onto the periphery of thelimiting cam H0. However, upon complete rotation of the reset shaft 42through one revolution plus the extent of overthrow thereof the stopshoulder H6 of the limiting cam H0 will abut against the outer end ofthe stop arm I22. and, when this occurs, the shoulder II 2 of the stopactuating cam will have moved beyond the lower end of the conhector I30.Thereafter. upon reverse rotation of the reset shaft to compensate foroverthrow, the shoulder I I2 will engage the lower end of the connectorto pivot the lever H8 in a clockwise direction and again rotate thepositioning arm I24 be-' neath the detent I26. In order to automaticallycompensate for overthrow the reset shaft 42 further has mounted thereonadjacent. but inside the supporting frame 45. a cam I40 having therein aperipheral notch I42 (see Fig. 3A). Cooperating with the cam. I40 is athrowback pawl I44 pivotally mounted intermediate of its end on theframe 45 and provided at one end with a roller I40 adapted to ride onthe periphery of the cam I40 and be positioned in the notch I42 thereof.The roller I46 is normally urged into engagement with the cam peripheryby a spring I48' having one end connected to the outer end of the pawlI44 and the other end connected to the frame 45. The cam notch I42 is solocated that the roller I46 will remain therein through the extent ofoverthrow of the reset shaft and due to the tenupon release of the resetshaft, the roller will again ride inwardly and automatically reverse 1the reset shaft through the angular distance of overthrow.

For preventing the initiation of a dispensing operation prior to thecomplete rotation of the reset shaft including the overthrow thereof,there is further mounted on the reset shaft and freely rotatablethereon, a second locking disc (see Fig. 8), the locking disc beingpositioned between the spacer 41 and the locking disc 84. The lockingdisc I50 has a lug receiving recess I52 therein, alignable with therecess 82 when the mechanism is at zero position and is normally held insuch alignment by a spring finger I54 having one end fixed to thesupporting plate 48 and its other end receivable in a notch I56provided-in the periphery of the disc. There is further provided betweenthe locking disc 84 and locking disc I50 9. lost motion drivingconnection comprising a pin I12 will pivot in a counterclockwisedirection to raise the connecting rod 66 and move the control lever 46to operative position whereupon the sequence of operations heretoforedescribed will result.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, itis intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 4

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, registering means, means for driving said registeringmeans, a reset shaft for resetting said registering means to zero, acontrol lever for said driving means movable from an inoperativeposition to an operative.

position to initiate-movement of the drive means,

I58 extending rearwardly from the disc 84 and reset shaft has completedits movement and be reversed through the distance of overthrow.

As indicated, the above described control lever and associated lockingmeans may all be en? closed within a casing I62 adapted to overlie sameand be secured to the supporting frame 43 by screws I64, the screwsextending through spacing sleeves I66 for properly holding the casingfrom the supporting frame.

In order to have the control lever automatically operable and. ofcourse, the interlocking means simultaneously automatically operabletherewith in response to the removal and the replacement of thedispensing nozzle 30, the lower arm of the guard 34 of the latter isprovided with a slot for receiving the hooked end I68 of a supportingbracket I10 mounted on the side of the casing I0. Pivotally mountedintermediate of its ends on the bracket I10 is a lever I12, the outerend of which lies in the path of movement of the "guard 34 and the innerend of which connects through a link I14 to the horizontal arm of a bellcrank lever I16. The bell crank lever I16 is pivotally mounted on abracket I18 on the casing I0 and the vertical arm of the lever connectsto the depending arm of a second bell crank lever I80. The bell cranklever I80 is likewise pivoted to a bracket I82 on thecasing I0 and thehorizontally extending arm thereof is apertured to receive the upper endof the rod 66 interconnecting the control lever 46 and the switch lever68, the horizontal arm of the bell crank lever being positioned betweenstop nuts cooperating means carried by said reset shaft and said controllever for locking said reset shaft against operation when said controllever is in operative position, a latch member carried by said controllever, a latch abutment carried by said reset shaft, means operativeupon movement of said control lever to inoperative position fromoperative position to position said latch member beneath said latchingabutment whereby said control lever may be latched in inoperativeposition and meansfcarried by said reset shaft for moving said latchmember to unlatched position upon resetting of said shaft.-.

2. In combination, registering means, drive means for said registeringmeans, a reset shaft for resetting said registering means to zero, meansfor limiting rotation of said resetting shaft after it has been operatedthrough one complete revolution plus a slight overthrow past zeroposition, means for automatically reversing operation of said shaft tozero position, a control lever movable from an inoperative position toan operative position to initiate movement of said driving means,cooperating means carried by said control lever and said reset shaft forlocking said reset shaft against rotation. when said control lever is inoperative position and means operative upon rotation of said shaft toreset said counter for preventing movement of said control lever frominoperative position throughout the full movement of said reset shaft.

3. In combination, registering means, drive means for operating saidregistering means, a reset shaft for resetting said registering means tozero, a control lever movable from an inoper ative position to anoperative position, a latch member carried by said control level-,9. cammember carried by said reset shaft, said cam member having a recesstherein adjacent said latch member to provide a latch abutment,cooperating means carried by said control lever and said cam member forpositioning said latch member in latching position beneath said abutmentwhen said control lever is moved from an operative position to aninoperative position, said cam member being adapted uponrotation of saidreset shaft to move said latch memben to unlatching position frombeneath said abutment.

4. In combination registering means, means 'on said latching member andsaid lever for for driving the registering means, a reset shaft forresetting the registering means to zero, a control level movable from aninoperative position to an operative position, said control leverincluding a substantially horizontal arm and vertical arm lyingrespectively beneath and to the side of the reset shaft, said controllever being pivoted intermediate of the ends of the vertical arm, alatching member pivotally and slidably mounted on said'vertical armabove the pivot point of said arm, said latching lever beingprovidedwith a stop lug located adjacent the reset shaft, shoulder means carriedby said reset shaft for engaging said stop lug upon rotation of thereset shaft when the lug lies in the'path of said shoulder means, andfurther means carried by said reset shaft and cooperating with said lugfor moving said lug into the path of said shoulder means upon movementof the control lever from an operative position to an inoperativeposition, and cam means for moving said stop lug out of the path of saidshoulder means upon rotation of the reset shaft.

5.,In combination registering means, means for driving the registeringmeans, a reset shaft for resetting the registering means, a controllever for-said driving means movable'from an inoperative position to anoperative position, cooperating means carried by said lever and saidreset shaft for locking said reset shaft when said control lever is inoperative position and latching means for restraining movement of saidcontrol lever when moved from an operative position to an inoperativeposition, said latching means comprising a latching member pivotally andslidably mounted on said control lever, cooperating means initiatingmovement of said latching member to latching position upon movement ofthe control lever from an inoperative position to an operative position,cooperating means on said reset shaft and said latching lever forcompleting the movement of said latching member to latching positionupon movement of the control lever from operative position toinoperative position and means operative upon resetting of said resetshaft for returning said latching member to initial position.

6. In combination registering means, means for driving the registeringmeans, a reset shaft for resetting the registering means to zero, acontrol lever movable from an inoperative position to an operativeposition, cooperating means carried by said control lever and said resetshaft for locking said reset shaft when said control lever is inoperative position, cooperating means on said control lever and saidshaft for latching said control lever in inoperative position followingmovement from an operative position, said cooperating means comprising alatching member pivotally and slidably mounted on the control lever anda latch stop and latch resetting cam secured to said reset shaft, saidlatching member and said latch resetting cam including cooperating lugsoperative upon movement of the control member from the operative to theinoperative position to position the lug of said latch member beneathsaid latch stop and means operative upon rotation of said resettingshaft for

